Final answer:
In a perfectly competitive market with excess supply, events in the long run include a drop in price, some firms exiting the market due to negative profits, a decrease in quantity supplied, and eventually reaching a new equilibrium where quantity supplied matches quantity demanded.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a perfectly competitive market, when quantity supplied is greater than quantity demanded, the following events take place in the long run:
- Market surplus causes a drop in price - When there is excess supply, the price will tend to decrease to make the quantity demanded equal to the quantity supplied.
- As some firms exit, quantity supplied drops - The negative profits signal firms to exit the market, which reduces the overall quantity supplied.
- Negative profits are a signal to some firms to exit the market - When firms experience negative economic profits, it indicates that they are not earning enough to cover their costs, leading some firms to exit the market.
- Lowered price means negative economic profits - When the price decreases due to excess supply, it reduces the economic profits of firms in the market.
- Equilibrium is reached, where quantity supplied equals quantity demanded - Eventually, the market will reach a new equilibrium where the quantity supplied matches the quantity demanded, eliminating the market surplus.